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When can the landlord come in?

Where is the line between taking care of the property and leaving the tenants alone? One of the sore-points for tenants is that some landlords are not respectful of the tenant’s right to “quiet enjoyment” of their space. A landlord may come in too frequently, may not give notice, and may not cooperate to enter

Home inspection experience of the year

This is one of my favorite home inspector experiences of the year. It started at the house visit. At that tour, there was an insulation that looked different than I am used to. My client was concerned that it was vermiculite. I didn’t think so. I’ve seen vermiculite and it is more rock-like than this.

Happy happy

 Yule was Sunday. Hanukkah ends at nightfall tonight (last candle last night.) Christmas eve tonight, into Christmas tomorrow. Kwanzaa, begins on Friday and runs through January 1. New year, 2015, begins January 1. Enjoy any or all, safely, warmly, in your home or someone else’s. (and here's the fireplace you always wanted!)      

By |2016-12-28T14:01:08-05:00December 24th, 2014|Categories: Uncategorized|

Watching summer go by on the porch

The porch is making a comeback in American home architecture. In 1993, 42% of new houses were designed with a porch, in 2013, that figure rose to 63%. When I work with house and condo buyers, they almost always want to have someplace to step outside, even if it is only a small porch. It

By |2016-12-28T14:01:11-05:00August 27th, 2014|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , |

Are you the kind of person the seller wants to sell to?

When a buyer makes an Offer to Purchase, it should be clear and complete. It must give the seller the impression that you are a ready, willing, and able buyer. It should reassure the seller that you are organized, have solid financing, and that you are the kind of people they’d like to sell to.

Debunking myths about the current housing market

“…according to the National Association of Realtors, homeownership rates among those 35 and younger is 36%--the lowest level since 1982…” NAR is concerned that this figure is so low. Nationally, it may be unusually low. They say there are myths making this so. I think there are good reasons for it. Entry level housing is

Basics about the Good Faith Estimate

Yet another one of my clients is staying up at night worrying about whether his lender is about to bait-and-switch him, causing thousands of dollars to be added to his closing costs. The changes to the Good Faith Estimate rules, have made me more confident that this kind of consumer manipulation is in the past.

One-of-a-kind houses

One-of-a-kind houses have one-of-a-kind problems. A custom house can be exceptionally beautiful and exceptionally well-suited for its primary purpose. But, that same house could be poorly suited for everyday living. How do you decide if a one-of-a-kind house works for you? Case in point: One of my clients purchased a house that was originally built

By |2016-12-28T14:01:12-05:00June 4th, 2014|Categories: House Hunting, Problems and repair, Uncategorized|